In an evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a user equipment (UE) may receive periodic reference signals from the network. When the UE operates within an unlicensed spectrum, however, periodic transmission of reference signals cannot be guaranteed as the network shares the unlicensed spectrum with a variety of communication devices that may operate according to a variety of different communication protocols. As a result, the UE may not receive the reference signals as expected. Accordingly, the UE may not be able to perform certain operations as desired without ensuring reception of the reference signals over the unlicensed spectrum.